Seal.



No. 698,30l. Patented Apr. 22; I902.

C. H. MANN.

SEAL.

(Application filed Oct. 23, 19cm) (No Model.)

THE Noam: PETERS o0. Mom-Lima, wAsmua'rn, n. c,

UNITED v STATES PATENT F'FIC'E.

CHARLES H. MANN, OF H ADDONFIELDQNEWV JERSEY,

SEALs SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 698,301, dated April. 22, i902.

' Application filed October 23, 1901. Serial No. 79 702. (No model.) 7

T0 at whom it may concern.- Be it known that I, CHARLES citizen of the United States, residing at Haddonfield, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Seals,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to seals for envelops, legal documents, and the like, and has for its object to provide a seal as an article of manufacture that will'be adapted to be attached to the article to be sealed by adhesion and will be capable of receiving a relief design from a sealing-stamp without the use of a counterdie, such as'is usually employed in sealingstamps of this character. This object I accomplish by forming the seal of a thin top surface of paper, linen, or other suitable material and a relatively thicker backing or under surface of plastic material,preferably possessing adhesive qualities that will enable it when moistened to adhere to the surface to be sealed. For this backing or under surper or fabric receives the pressure of the sealing-stamp, and thus acts as an intermediate protecting medium to prevent the underlying plastic material from sticking to the surface of the sealing-stamp, while at the same time the said relatively thicker underlying plastic material will force said paper or fabric surface into the interstices of the intaglio sealing-stamp, thus leavingthe design in relief on the seal and dispensing with the necessity for an underlying counter-die to obtain this relief effect. I t

v In the drawings accompanying this specification, Figure 1 is a sectional view of my improved seal. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the same, and Fig.3is a sectional view showing the same applied to an envelop of peculiar construction.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views. In the said drawings the reference-numera 11.1mm, a

1 denotesthe upper surface of paper or other.

fabric, and 2 the backing or under surface of plastic material, the two being united by adhesion to form a composite article. A preferred substance for the uppersurface l is thin paper, though I do not limit myself to the same, as I may employ any suitable fabric, such as linen, with equally advantageous results. As hereinbefore stated, I prefer to employ for the backing or under surface 2 that substance of which the article known in the trade as a sealing-wafer is composed,

the same possessingthe desired adhesive the same being to provide a yielding bed that n will force the upper surface 1 into the interstices of the intaglio surface ofthe sealingstamp when the latter is pressed thereon, thus obtaining a seal in relief without the use of a counter-die. i

i In Fig. 3 -1 have illustrated myimproved construction, saidconstruction of envelop being fully disclosed; in Letters Patent No. 674,785, granted May 21, 1901, to myself and Clinton -A.-Higbee, the same consisting of a central depressed portion 4 and an outer circumferential portion 5, flush with the body of the envelop, both of said portions being intended to receive a sealing medium and to have imprinted thereon in relief the design of the seal. As shown, my improved seal innprinted by a suitable sealing-stamp will follow the configuration of the depressed portion and will receive the relief design on both said depressed portion and on the surrounding portion flush with the body of the envelop,

it being apparent that said seal may be readily applied after moisteningthe surface 2 and that said portion 2 will afford the desired plastic cushion forforcing-the upper surface 1 into the interstices of thedesign in the in taglio sealing-stamp when applied thereto, thus dispensing with the necessity for a relief counter-die, which it would be impossible to use in sealing such an article as an en- 'seal as applied to an envelop 3"of peculiar velop filled with matter to be transported. A further double function performed by the upper surface 1 when permanently applied to the underlying plastic backing2 is, first, that it forms a protecting medium for said backing, thus permittingthe article to be more readily handled and applied and with less danger of disintegration, it being well known that the substance composing sealing-wafers is of itself very fragile, and, secondly, that when the sealing-stamp is applied the necessity for wetting the surface of the latter is dispensed with, the fabric surface 1 having no adherent qualities such as possessed by sealing Wafers, Wax, and other plastic substances, thus permitting a power-press to be employed in imprinting the design to the seal.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A seal for envelops, documents, and the like, consisting of but two parts; a top surface of fabric,and a relatively thicker under surface of plastic material.

2. A seal for envelope, documents, and the like, consisting of but two parts; a top surface of fabric, and a relatively thicker under surface of adhesive plastic material.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES H. MANN.

\Vitnesses:

REUBEN FITZKEE, J. OMAR Goon. 

